A small, simple game is sometimes all you need to sustain your happiness and they can even sometimes be the best games. That is a stretch in oOo: Ascension’s case but it is certainly a sustainable and at points addictive game. oOo: Ascension brings together puzzle elements with gorgeous graphics. The graphics side makes you want to play the game in the first place, whereas the puzzle side keeps you playing the game, desperate to complete it. We all know what it’s like when you can’t do a certain level, feeling almost forced to keep playing the game – and oOo: Ascension brings this aspect together brilliantly.
Each level takes place on a mini globe (something like that), with you controlling what looks to be a vehicle of some sort. Whatever it is, it isn’t actually said in the game. Starting out on World A provides you with a variety of different levels and it gets harder as you progress – as expected. The final level of each world is usually the most difficult and upon completion, you unlock the next world. The same goes for each world in the game but a level is never repeated and you can’t find too many similarities between one level and another. This is what makes oOo: Ascension so re-playable – it’s never short of levels.
With each design being different, you need new skills to pass each one – precision, speed and accuracy are usually the most important. One example sees you with a bar pushing quickly behind you as you try and navigate your way past the maze of the route. It took many times for me to pass this level, but once you eventually do, it is very satisfying. However, whilst the levels themselves don’t get repetitive the game can get dull at points because of the lack of purpose and depth. Yes, it’s sometimes nice to sit down with a puzzle game but oOo: Ascension could have strongly benefitted from a storyline. Not every puzzle game has a story – but for a console, I believe that it would have really helped if it had one.
Even if it was just a really simple story, it would have been nice. Look at Professor Layton – it perfectly combines the two. Yet that is a full-priced game, and you can get oOo: Ascension for under £10. It’s very hard to fault, although the levels don’t ever have any purpose apart from satisfaction. Even new vehicles to unlock would have possibly given it more of a purpose as a whole.
Other than that, oOo: Ascension is extremely hard to fault. Pretty much everything else is really good – its music doesn’t get boring, its gameplay is fun, the graphics are very sweet and the puzzling side is also made brilliantly. It’s just a couple of parts to the game which means that the game does, eventually, become a little dull. But I say a little dull because before that point you probably won’t get bored.
In fact, oOo: Ascension is just made for the Switch. It was released on Xbox One prior to the Switch and in honesty, I can’t see in any way how it can be as playable on there as it is on Switch. The Switch’s handheld side means that oOo: Ascension can be a very fun game to be played on the go – sometimes the puzzle games without a story are in fact the best for that. I haven’t had a chance to do this, but I can almost guarantee that it would be the case.
Final Words
oOo: Ascension is a very well-made puzzle game. For a console title, it lacks major depth or any real purpose, however, apart from those two points it is very well made. If you feel like playing something puzzling, oOo: Ascension is the pick of the bunch right now.
Review code provided
Platform: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch
Release: 04/10/2018
No. of Players: 1-2
Publisher: Extra Mile Studios
Category: Arcade, Racing
Website: www.emstudios.co.uk
Twitter: @oooascension
Download link: eShop
TWO BEARD GAMING 
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